雅思口语参考话题

What do you think influences a young person’s taste in music?

I think it depend on what he/her always has been listening, this makes one's favourite.

Tell me about any traditional music in your culture.

I guess the traditional music in Chinese culture that I can think of right now, is played often with Erhu and Guzheng. These are Chinese traditional musical instruments with strings(弦乐器). And such music is folk music, which is created by grassroots artists long time ago. When you listen to it, you will have an exotic feeling, “Wow! This is so very Chinese.” Such music reflects Chinese tradition, history and culture. And also the lifestyle of people in China is shown.(105 words)

Why do you think countries have national anthems or songs?

I think the primary reason for a country to have a national anthem is the same as when a person needs a name. It shows you’re different from others. And similar to your name, national anthem is also a representation of the country. It’s a musical symbol of the nation.

What do you think are the most important qualities for friends to have?

I think a good friend is always someone who trusts you and can be trusted. And this person should show sincerity in this friendship and be always loyal to you.Life is full of ups and downs, and when you’re down, he’s always there to give you a hand.

What do you think causes friendships to break up?

I guess the reason why most friendships break up is because people lose trust in each other. Maybe there’s a case of dishonesty where one person lies to another. And then they feel it’s no longer working out anymore. Another reason is that maybe one of the two friends grow too fast and develop too rapidly so he feels that he has outgrow his friend in many ways and he doesn’t know how to be with him anymore. The loss of common language also causes a friendship to break up. (90 words)

What other types of relationship, apart from friends or family, are important in people’s lives today?

I think teachers are also important people in our lives.they not only give us knowledge,but guidance when we’re not sure about life as well. When we’re in pain, they give us energy and encouragement;When we’re lost,they provide us a clear direction again.They’re the light house in our lives.Apart from teachers, your colleagues are also indispensable to you.You compete against each other, and much growth can be achieved through such competition.Your professional life is no longer lonely.And what’s more, these people can become your future friends.

How important do you think it is for a person to spend some time alone? Why/Why not? Spending time alone will help you in many ways. Time alone will provide ways for you to increase your ability to attract money, objects, people, and situations that are for your higher good; that will open your soul 's path and life purpose; and bring about more joyful, harmonious, way's and aboundence into you life. Don't waste you time spent alone on thinking about what you don't want but spend time alone thinking about the thing's that what you do want and desire to come into your life.

Would you agree that the original significance of festivals is often lost today? Is it good or bad, do you think?

I think the original significance for festivals are to celebrate our tradition.It’s an end to the old year and the beginning of a new year. So it’s a connecting day.But today, people are so busy, they’re under so much pressure and they no longer feel the transition between the old and the new year. Some companies even ask their employees to come in on holidays. So many people begin to feel that festivals are just as common as the other days.People no longer take the opportunities of festivals to honor their tradition,but go shopping, go to restaurant to entertain instead.So I think tradition is out, consumption is in.Festivals provide people such an excuse to put down their work, to spend money and be extravagant (奢侈的), and to meet people that they don’t have time for during the working year.So in this sense, even the original significance is lost, festivals are still exciting.

Do you think that new festivals will be introduced in the future? What kind?

I believe the future holds①both great and tragic events that will be worth memorizing②with a festival. The kindI hope will be celebrating how many years sincea war or the year we cureda disease like AIDS.

Do you think it’s good or bad to watch festivals on TV? Why?

I think it is good for~ festivals to be available on television because it enables people who would prefer to stay at home or unable to physically attend the celebrations to enjoy the celebrations.

How may globalization affect different festivals around the world?

I believe globalization has a small but obvious effect on festivities across the globe. As countries cultures converge⑦so do cultural celebrations. One example is the increasing celebration of Christmas in typically non-Christian nations, such as China and India.

In what ways can people in a family be similar to each other?

Well, there are many ways that people in a family are similar. One way is that they have the same blood; they are all related to each other physically. I think that the other way they are similar is that they live with each other, so they begin to pick up habits and traits that each other has. They can begin to talk alike and react in the same ways.

Do you think that daughters are always more similar to mother than to male relatives?

What about sons and fathers?

Daughters and mothers are naturally closer to each other just because they are of the same sex. They just seem to understand each other better than a father would. Of course there are things about their mothers that some daughters do not want to be like, but usually they are able to come to grips with this issue and develop close bonds. A father and a son can be close; a lot depends on how much time a father is able to spend with his son and how much respect they are able to show to each other.

How do people in your country feel about genetic research?

Well, I don't know so much about this topic, because I am not a scientist or anything, but I suppose that there are pros and cons to this subject. Sometimes when I think of this, I am a little scared and think about mad scientists and Dr. Frankenstein and that kind of stuff. I have heard that there are some good possibilities in this type of research, but off the top of my head the only thing that I can think of is stem cell research. But even that is a bit controversial.

Should this research be funded by government or private companies? Why?

Well, whoever wants to fund this kind of research should be able to do so at their own discretion. If governments have the money and support from their constituents then they could invest in this research. Now, of course, private companies also have money and could invest in this research, and I should see of no law that would prevent them from doing so.

What do most people do to keep fit in China?

It differs from place to place, and person to person. The older generation enjoys Taiji, some aerobics, walking or jogging in the park. Younger people often like team sports, such as basketball or football, and many go to the gym. People drink different types of tea, go on special diets, or take some sort of herbal medicine to stay fit and healthy.

How important is it for people to do some regular physical exercise?

Very important — your life could depend on it. Everybody needs to have regular exercise; I read somewhere that even just 8 minutes of solid exercise to get your heart pumping is enough to do the trick. A lot of diseases, heart attacks, and health problems could be prevented through consistent exercise.

Why do some people think that modern lifestyles are not healthy?

Well, with so much processed food and so little time to exercise and pollution in almost every sphere of life, it is easy to see why the modem lifestyle is not healthy. With so many people moving to the cities and the cities becoming overcrowded, which leads to congestion and massive traffic jams, you can see why it is becoming more and more difficult to have a healthy lifestyle. Pressure is another big issue that comes from today\"s frantic way of living.

Why do some people choose to lead unhealthy lives?

A lot of people just can't help it as they are almost forced by the circumstances to lead unhealthy lives. It is so much easier to light up a cigarette when tension and pressure levels rise than it is to

go out for a walk or a jog to relieve pressure. Likewise when the day is done, why not relax with your buddies over some drinks at a bar, than take a little time to get quiet and mediatate and feel your worries just melt away.

What are the main reasons why people organize family parties in your country?

In China, people do not organize family parties as frequently as they do in the West. The idea of having a family party is based on the custom of family reunion on certain public holidays or important festivals during the year. For example, the Mid-Autumn Festival is of such great cultural significance that every Chinese family will have a gathering or small party of some sort to celebrate it by honoring the Lunar Goddess, who is believed to have the power to bond all relatives into a closely-knit family.

The main reason why people would organize family parties in my country would be to reunite（相聚，重聚v.）after not seeing each other for a long time. The party would provide an opportunity to tell stories and learn what they have all been doing since we last saw each other. We also try to provide guidance to each other and settle any concerns that we might have.

In some places people spend a lot of money on parties that celebrate special family events. Is this ever true in your country? Do you think this is a good trend or a bad trend? Yes，I think so，it is true that we will spend a lot of money to celebrate family events such as a new baby，marriage，a new job or getting into a good school. I believe that it is necessary to spend money to organize the party and provide food，drink and so on，it is just as important to remember why we are there. It is more important to have quality time with family. The interaction happines of family life is what is important not the money.

What kinds of national celebration do you have in your country?

Chinese people like to celebrate important festivals like the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival. On that day, there is going to be a national party on TV, and some actors and actresses will give performances and the TV viewers are truly entertained by this show. This is also the case during the Mid-Autumn Festival as well. Oh, I forgot to mention, we have the national celebration on the National Day as well.

Why do you think some people think that national celebrations are a waste of government money? Would you agree or disagree with this view? Why?

National celebrations bring about the festival atmosphere. Chinese like to set the fireworks or firecrackers at festivals, and a lot of citizens enjoy the scene. They go to the square to see the firework displays, and they wouldn’t complain that the government is wasting the money.

Some people think that education should be about memorizing the important ideas of the past. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

How do you think teachers could help students to develop and share their own ideas?

Should employers encourage their workers to have new ideas about improving the company? Why?

What is more difficult having new ideas or putting them into practice? Which is more important for a successful company?

Why do you think some school teachers use competitions as class activities?

I think one important responsibility of teachers is to promote the students’ desire to be someone strong and prepare them for the future. Competition never sleeps. This is an awareness without which anyone joining the labour market would not succeed. It's always better to realize the cruelty before the students get shocked in the future.

Do you think it is a good thing to give prizes to children who do well at school? Why? What are the advantages and disadvantages of intensive training for young sports people?

Some people think that competition leads to a better performance from sports stars? Others think it just makes players feel insecure. What is your opinion?

Do people in your country enjoy going to open-air markets that sell things like food or clothes or old objects? Which type of market is more popular? Why?

Do you think young people feel the same about shopping at market as older people? Why is that?

How does advertising influence what people choose to buy? Is this true for everyone? Do you think that any recent changes in the way people live have affected general shopping habits? Why is this?

Why do you think some people like doing new things?

What problems can people have when they try new activities for the first time?

Do you think children and adults learn to do new things in the same way? How is their learning style different?

Some people say that it is more important to be able to learn new things now than it was in the past. Do you agree or disagree with that? Why?

How do people in your country feel about protecting historic buildings?

Do you think an area can benefit from having an interesting historic place locally? In what way?

How were you taught history when you were at school?

Do you think history will still be school subject in the future? Why? Do you think having a hobby is good for people’s social life? Why do you think people need to have an interest or hobby?

Would you say the amount of free time has changed much in the last fifty years? Do you think people will have more or less free time in the future? Why?

What do people enjoy doing when they visit rivers, lakes or the sea? Why do you think these activities are popular?

What are the different advantages or disadvantages of going to the sea or to a swimming pool to enjoy yourself?

Compared with other forms of transport, can you think of any advantages and disadvantages of water transport?

How important is it for a town or city to be located near a river or the sea? (15%)

Why do you think the Internet is being used more and more for communications?

How reliable do you think information from the Internet is? What about news on the Internet?

Why do you think some people use the Internet for shopping? Why doesn’t everyone use it in this way?

Do you think shopping on the Internet will be more or less popular in the future? Why?

Is this fame different from the kind of achievement that made people famous in the past? In what way?

How do you think people will become famous in the future? Talent, hard work, and dedication .... and persistence is in there too.

What are the disadvantages of being famous?

the pressure, no privacy!, you cant get away with anything and the criticism

Why do you think ordinary people are interested in the lives of famous people?

Ordinary people have been interested in the lives of famous people as long as there have been famous people. There are several reasons for this including it gives you a glimpse of how the other half lives. People are inspired by someone famous and want to know more about them.